


Small Hands

by sheskyripa



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, Neil and Andrew are parents, Post-Canon, Soft Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27153544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheskyripa/pseuds/sheskyripa
Summary: Neil arrives home after two weeks away, only to find his favorite picture full of small handprints.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 10
Kudos: 194





	Small Hands

**Author's Note:**

> so, i wrote this fic fic in three hours after i saw my friend's publication on [twitter](https://twitter.com/wftminyard/status/1319229082740137984) and i thought: why not? so, here it is. sorry if it got shitty i just wanted to get the scene out of my head  
> remembering: English IS NOT my mother tongue and I "corrected" the text by grammaly, so forgive me for any mistakes and feel free to let me know about it.  
> I hope you like it :)

Neil was tired. 

Taking a plane home after playing a game was not the best idea, especially after two weeks away, which meant two weeks without sleeping right because the empty side of the bed in the hotels where he and his team stayed it was too deep for Neil to be able to relax. 

He missed Andrew beside him as if he missed an amputated limb. But that's okay now because he was finally home and wouldn't be leaving for the next few months - Neil's team had been eliminated by Kevin and Matt's team last night - which would have made him uneasy back in college, but now he couldn't be more relieved when he opened the door to their apartment and was attacked by two cats. 

Neil smiled as he struggled to get in without the cats running away and when he did, he dropped the bag on the living room rug and sat on the floor, paying attention to the two affectionate cats - no matter how much Hazel paid attention to the two, they always they would need attention - taking King in his lap and rubbing his face against her soft fur as Sir curled up on his crossed legs. 

"King, are you bigger?" he asked, holding King so that she was face to face with Neil. The cat looked at him with that judgmental face that all cats had and Neil pretended a serious expression. "Did you grow up in the two weeks that I was away?"

King meowed. 

"Andrew spoiled you, didn't he?" he put it back on his chest, where she stuck her claws to hold it against his shoulder and took Sir in his arms as well, heading towards the kitchen. King jumped onto the counter the moment he stopped by the fridge. "Where's your father?" he asked the cats, receiving a meow in response from both. 

Neil laughed at the familiarity. 

He grabbed bacon and eggs from the fridge, wanting to get something to eat right away because he was hungry, having just eaten a piece of pizza with the team before leaving for the airport. 

That's when he saw it. 

On the living room wall, next to the kitchen, Neil had hung a picture of the Foxes on the day they won the championship for the first time. He had it framed the day he graduated and Andrew didn't have much to say if he didn't accept that huge picture in the middle of the room. 

And now the glass that protected the photo was filled with paint marks in the shape of little hands. 

Neil didn't know if he was upset or laughed at the handprint that was placed in a way that looked like it was shutting Kevin up. 

He decided to take the sport and turn his attention to what he was cooking, pushing King away when she got too close to the stove. Sir was no longer in the kitchen, even though the smell of bacon was in the air. She was probably sleeping on top of the bag Neil left in the room, lazy as she was. 

Neil was taking the frying pan out of the fire when the front door was opened and Hazel's loud laugh can be heard. Neil smiled when he heard the girl running around the house and put the bacon and eggs on a plate. Andrew came into the kitchen at that moment, wearing his usual work clothes - a dark blue button-down shirt, folded in the arms to the elbow and jeans. He was still wearing glasses and he wore the armbands Neil had given him last Christmas, the ones with blue stitching. 

"I thought you would only arrive tomorrow," Andrew said, leaning over to steal a piece of the bacon. Neil glared at him, but Andrew didn't care, leaning his butt on the counter where King now slept. 

"I decided that I didn't want to wait until noon today to catch a plane if I had the option of traveling at dawn." Neil smiled with his mouth full and Andrew raised an amused eyebrow at that expression. 

Neil finished eating and got up from the table to wash his plate, but Andrew spun him around and pinned him against the sink and his own body. Neil put his arms around Andrew's shoulders, smiling, knowing it was a safe spot. "Yes or no?" he asked, just in case. They hadn't asked for basic things in a long time, including kissing, but it had been two weeks. 

"Yes," Andrew replied and leaned against Neil, kissing him slowly. Andrew's hands tightened on Neil's waist and Neil was one step closer to climbing over the sink and hugging Andrew's waist with his legs when a low laugh distracted them. 

Hazel was standing at the kitchen door, both her hands covering her mouth, probably trying to hide her laughter. Andrew turned away from Neil, and Hazel dropped his hands and started to rock back and forth. 

Neil remembered the day he and Andrew met her, four years ago. Andrew was still playing Exy, and the team they both were taken to a children's hospital to increase publicity for the place when the two moved away from the crowd that was forming and ended up in the ICU of the place. Hazel was there, a breathing tube in her mouth and a scary expression. 

A nurse saw them looking at her through the glass in the room she was in and asked if they were related to her. Neil replied that they didn't and saw the nurse's expression fall. 

"She was left here two weeks ago by her mother." the nurse said. "She gave no information about her and simply disappeared while the doctors took care of the girl's injuries." 

Neil and Andrew looked at each other, but could not ask or continue in that wing of the hospital. They hadn't thought about adoption before, but they knew they couldn't get on with their lives without doing something to help that nameless girl, so they contacted social assistance and started the fight to get her guarded and when they did, Andrew did not think twice about deciding to retire, claiming that he had already done a lot at Exy, he had even won an Olympic medal. Neil did not object. 

Neil crouched down and spread his arms and Hazel ran up to him. 

"I missed you, Dad," she said, her little face pressed against Neil's neck. Neil pressed her to his chest. "But you weren't supposed to be home yet." 

Neil pushed her away as Andrew snorted. 

"And why not?" he raised an eyebrow. 

"Well ..." she looked at Andrew, who nodded. "Daddy and I were preparing a surprise for you."

Neil stood and crossed his arms. "And this surprise consists of marking my favorite painting?" 

Hazel opened her mouth and ran back to Andrew, laughing. 

"Can I know why there are small handprints on my favorite painting?" 

Andrew bent down and whispered to Hazel, faking a conspiracy. "Why are there small handprints on the board?" 

"Because my hands are small," she whispered back. 

Andrew got to his feet. "Because her hands are small." 

Hazel put her hands over her mouth to hide her laughter again and Andrew put his hand on her shoulder. Neil could no longer pretend to be upset and laughed. He shook his head and approached them and pinched Hazel's nose, who smiled widely at him. 

"Do you want me to take a walk so you can prepare my surprise?" 

Hazel made a thoughtful expression before shaking her head. “You don't have to. Daddy, ”she turned to Andrew. "help me get it?" 

Andrew nodded and the two started walking out of the kitchen, but then Hazel looked at him over her shoulder: "Go to the living room and close your eyes, Dad." 

Neil did not argue, going to the living room as the two went up the stairs to the second floor of the apartment. He put his head on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. Five minutes later, the two returned. Andrew was still wearing the clothes he used to teach that day (he became a high school literature teacher), but Hazel had changed clothes. 

"I told you to keep your eyes closed!" 

"And you are too bossy for a five-year-old girl." Hazel showed him her tongue. Then she looked at Andrew, who nodded. Hazel bit her lip and opened the coat she had put on and the shirt she was wearing underneath made Neil freeze for a moment and then he looked at Andrew.

The shirt had a phrase that said: ' _ Do you want to marry with my Daddy?'  _

Hazel jumped in place and smiled as Neil got up and walked over to Andrew. He smiled. "Yes." 

Hazel let out a happy little squeak as Andrew pulled Neil into a kiss, but Neil smiled a lot to make it a good kiss, but neither he nor Andrew cared because it was  _ yes  _ and it would always be a  _ yes.  _

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/sheskyripa)  
> I don't know very well how adoption works in the United States, but I wanted to do this part of the marriage proposal, so if it's not suitable, think it's just a fic kkk :)


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